desperate for advice on what to do....

On thursday I had my son, Grant via c-section. He is currently in the NICU with a feeding tube. I have been pumping every 2 hours around the clock trying to establish a supply. Here is what I have to do because nothing else works....
I pump both breasts at the same time for 10-15 min. Normally I just get a droplet of colostrum/milk. I then hand express and use a tiny syringe to suck up what comes out. the most I have gotten is 1ml between both breasts. I have tried the hopsitals pump...I have tried my pump.....The pump just doesnt get it into the bottle. I am going to try to get a larger sheild....my breasts are normally 48 DD size and they are very floppy...no perk in them. I know that is part of the issue.....

My thing is this....I am now 3 days post partem....my baby is in the NICU and they give him what i am able to express (which is NOT enough) and they supplement him with formula. They have tried bottle feeding him but I have nothing to give them....so they are formula feeding. I cant hand express into a container ,,,,mny breasts are to big for me to get my hands around enough to do this and I have extreme carpal tunnel nerve damage that causes my hands to be very weak with no feeling. I know I will be breast feeding as soon as he is off the oxygen and feeding tube is out, but i need to pump and get something now. does anyone have any suggestions? i am stressed out thinking I cant provide for my baby and i dont know if my milk should be in now or not. what i express is milky and thin.....but i cant get enough force to squirt into the container so that is why i use the syringe. HELP PLEASE!

Re: help! ( i posted this under pumping also)

Many moms find pumping colustrum difficult, and for them hand expression tends to work better. Can anyone hand express for you due to your hand pain? Also, Colustrum is always very scant. There just is not much of it. So try to relax, this will likely change as your milk becomes more abundant.

Many moms do not see the more abundant milk until day 4 or 5 or sometimes even later, especially with C-section and/or traumatic birth that can slow lactogenesis. Every drop is helpful for baby, and any stimulation will be helpful for your supply even if it is not adding up to "enough" yet. Keep pumping and expressing as frequently as you can, but try not to stress over what you get at this point.

Is baby in NICU for prematurity and/or other issues? Is baby being bottle fed or still fed with a tube? Can you hold him yet? If you can hold him, can you try breastfeeding him yet? maybe with an at the breast supplementer? (Lactation aid?) (More info: http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...tion&Itemid=17 ) Even if you can't nurse, can you hold him on you, skin to skin or not as you feel most comfortable?

What hands on help are you being given? Is there a Board Certified Lactation Consultant in the hospital? If not, or if you feel you re not being helped by them, can you bring in an outside IBCLC to assist you? have you contacted your local LLL?

And remember to take care of yourself. You are recovering from major abdominal surgery and dealing with lots of stress over the health of your baby on top of the shock of new motherhood. Get help and support and take good care of yourself.

PS do not give a thought as to what your milk looks like. If it is coming out of your breasts, it is good for baby and definitely better than formula. Milky and thin indicates to me you are transitioing to the more abundant milk from the colustrum.

Re: desperate for advice on what to do....

Congrats on your new baby. I'm so sorry for the troubles up til now. I hope your sweet baby is out of the NICU very soon.

I don't know very much about NICU babies, but I know other mamas will be along soon. You are doing a good job trying to pump. I would urge you to reach out and see if the hospital has an IBCLC on staff. This is a type of lactation consultant. It sounds like you need hands-on help. I also wonder if your baby would be able to get breastmilk from a milk bank?

My milk didn't come in until closer to day 5 or 6.

Christine
Baby Girl Born 2/17/10 to her two mommies
BF from day one. I looked up one day and realized I'm nursing a toddler!

Re: help! ( i posted this under pumping also)

greetings mandisue13 and congratulations on the birth of your son.
you are doing the right thing for your baby. you are using the hospitals double breast pump and you are expressing your colostrum/early milk. Every drop they give your baby enhances his health.
The hospital staff is working diligently to take care of your baby. Their goal is to get him ready to go home with you.
Soon they will give you the opportunity to hold him skin to skin. he will smell you and taste you he may even attempt to lick or suckle.
your milk will come in. Your milk will be plentiful enough to sustain him. The key is to use the breastpump every two hours.
You can do this.

Re: desperate for advice on what to do....

hi mama, my milk also didn't come in til later - DS was born tuesday at 4 am, my milk came in 4 days later in the wee hours on saturday. so as far as that goes, you are ENTIRELY in the realm of normal. i bet that within a day or so you will get engorged and the milk will come in, if you've been pumping every 2 hours round the clock. it is not too late.

i also have big boobs and have never been able to figure out hand expression, though admittedly i haven't tried that diligently.

congratulations on your new little one, and i hope he's out of NICU very very soon!

Re: help! ( i posted this under pumping also)

he wasnt breathing on his own when he was born.....he ended up with a pneumothorax and fluid in his stomach also ahd to be drained. he was transfered immediately to a more invasive hospital across town so for 2 days didnt even see him. as soon as i saw him my breasts ached and i pumped 1ml. when i held him i did the same. i cant breast feed until the feeding tube and oxygen are off and he can hold steady oxygen level. he is a very lazy eater and refuses to suck on the bottles ....so they have to rotate the feeding tube and bottle. i am suppose to be able to see the LC today at the hospital. im just worried im not going to produce!

Re: desperate for advice on what to do....

thank you for the reassurance. i guess i was thinking maybe i would be like elsie the milk cow as soon as he came out...lol. i am suppose to see the LC at the hospital today.....good note.....they told me i can dress him today ...hoping to take him home soon!

Re: desperate for advice on what to do....

No, it's totally normal. Keep pumping. If you can, do some skin to skin with him, as that will help. I hope he comes out of the NUCU soon.

Be sure your pumping sessions are long enough. The total time for every 24 hours should be 120 minutes. If you are pumping every 2 hours around the clock, that is 12 10 minute sessions. Even if you aren't getting anything, it is OK. It helps to get your milk in.

I had to EP for our youngest from day one, nd normally I have milk in by 36 hours, but it was more like 72 or longer when I pumped. It was day 9 before I had any extra to store (I remember because I froze some, and we immediately lost our power due to an ice storm, and I had to have DH go buy a gas powered generator to keep the freezer frozen, the fridge cold and my pump going).

Re: desperate for advice on what to do....

medela pump in style ....and i have the 24 mm horns....i think i need to try the next size up. my last pump session was 100 times better. i actually got some to express into the pump and i then hand expressed and i got 5 ml total. i was proud. haha.